Engel
by Yami Horus Drako Angelus
Summary: Danny is been dead for a year, but Amity Park still has a guardian angel.
1. Tome 1 Not the End

_.-.-First, a message from Yami-Horus-.-._

 _Just some info about the construction of this universe before starting:_

 _The show first aired on april 4, 2004, THUS I'm making that date Danny's birthday._

 _The last episode, PHANTOM PLANET, aired on august 26, 2016. Since in the series it's said that it took them some time to actually put Danny's plan to work I'm making it happen somewhere around September._

 _As we know, REALITY GAUNTLET happened during summer vacation, meaning the characters aged at least one year during the show. Following this logic, the Phantom Trio would be 15 by the time of Phantom Planet (17 in Jazz's case)_

 _The episode KINDRED SPIRITS (where Danielle first appears) was aired on April 7, 2006, and also happened after the REALITY GAUNTLET arc, meaning it happened at least a year after Danny got his powers; so, for this fanfic, that's the official date of her birthday._

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 **THOME 1: NOT THE END**

It was the anniversary of the day when the planet had been saved thanks to their local hero, but the occasion was not as happy and festive as one would think it to be. Amity Park was somber and quiet; and, even though their young mayor's voice resounded through the speakers in front of the City Hall, the sound seemed so empty and far away that he might had been speaking through an empty can and nobody would have noticed the difference.

"...our hero is gone, but he'll live forever in our hearts, our minds and, even if it is not as much as he deserves, in Amity Park's history" He removed a single tear from his eye and continued reading (had someone been actually paying attention to his speech, they could have perceived the light quivering of his voice threatening to break at any moment). "May this day remind us that life is a precious gift we must all cherish and appreciate". A long silence followed and then the clapping started. As the reporters and people present started to leave, Tuck took off his formal hat and replaced it for a black beret.

"Mister Mayor" a professional, detached sounding voice came from behind him. "You have a visit" The young politician smiled melancholically, a sad smirk graced his features and he turned around to greet his two friends.

"Thanks, Margaret. I'll take it from here" The owner of the voice stepped aside and disappeared among the crew that was disassembling the podium. "Hey Sam, hey Dani" he saluted the two girls. Sam's hair had grown a little longer in the past few months, but she still kept it down, she had opted to cover her head (and part of her face) with a black-lace veil (which matched the laced ends of the black leggins she had replaced her purple-ones with; and, also, the translucent black blouse she was wearing over her black tank top). "Didn't thought I'd see you here"

"Neither did us" The youngest of the three answered "Jazz said something about seeing friends being good for… how did she call it? "Cathartic exercise" or something" She shrugged and, in the sweetest way possible, she added: "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention" Sam rolled her eyes at the gesture, but chuckled at the end.

"Yeah, we know that, Miss flower-power" The goth

"Why flower-po—? Oh, you meant the dress, yeah" the girl facepalmed as soon as she remembered that, _ipso facto,_ she wa _s_ wearing a black dress with white flowers (and also on the sleeves, but with the colors switched). "Do you like it?" The cloned Fenton teased the goth, who shrugged in disgust and received a sudden hug as 'punishment'.

Tucker contemplated the scene with some cheer coming back to him, for some seconds, before feeling down again. Danielle he had grown some inches in the past months, making her almost as tall as Sam and, also, (painfully) making her looks more similar to Danny's, despite her best efforts to conceal it (she had got a complete makeover just to get as different from Danny's look as possible: she started wearing heavy makeup everyday, got a whole new wardrobe, consisting primarily on dresses and cute stuff filled with flowers and hearts, she also curling her ponytail or bangs every morning. The most recent change was the addition of her ombre green-hair-dye).

The techno geek bite his tongue trying to suppress his comments. The girl-stuff he could understand, she had been trying things along with Danny; but, refusing anything resembling stars, spaceships, NASA or astrophysics? Stuffing all the models she and Danny had made together into the closet? She was overdoing it, especially since "the incident", which happened at Fenton Works one morning a few weeks after Danny's funeral.

The pain was still fresh in everyone's mind; and, for the Fenton's specially, the wound was still too tender. Maddie could be found looking through Danny's old stuff (toys, clothes, notebooks) and crying while holding one of his baby t-shirts; Jack, on the other hand, had kept calling for the boy's aid when he was in the lab just to remember of his passing mid-sentence, making him fall into a terribly somber state. Jazz explained how it was an issue that concerned the whole family, her included, and it was necessary to stay together and talk about things. Now, Danielle had been hesitant of spending time with them and she had been shy around them since Danny had introduced her to the family, but she couldn't bear to see them in such state. Even though they had agreed to take her in as their child — and she was grateful for that—, Danny was her link to the adults, without him she was uncertain of anything. She wanted to be accepted, to be loved, to make them happy...

"Dani! What are you doing?!" Maddie screamed when she saw the little girl standing in front of her mirror with scissors in hand and about to cut off her ponytail. Danielle froze in place, not knowing what to do. Her instincts were telling her to turn intangible and run away, while she was trying very hard to listen to her common sense and find her voice again.

"I-I was made to be a substitute of Danny" The blue-eyed cried with a serious expression "... maybe it's time for me to be… to be what I- what I was meant to be". The clone confessed her feelings while her eyes started to sting with tears.

"No, no, no! Sweety, no." Her mother took the scissors from her and kneeled in front of her . "Danielle, what in the world gave you that idea?" She asked as she cupped her face.

"I know…" The little girl said as her tears finally fell from her eyes. "I know you all miss Danny and- I'm not perfect clone but I can try-!

"Danielle…" Jack tried to come closer to them kneel on the floor beside his wife; but, deep in his gut, he felt this was a moment better suited for Maddie to handle.

"I just…!" She wiped her tears furiously "I can't bear to see you all so sad that I…" Dani's grip came loose, and the scissors fall to the floor "I just wanted to help you..!" She said "If I was a perfect copy, not a defective like the other spares as Vlad said..."

"I do not care what twisted thing was happening inside of Vlad's head when he tried to clone our son, I just care about you. Dani, I know you might doubt it, especially now that your brother is gone, but it is true. We lov—"

"Why? I'm not a real Fenton! You didn't even gave birth to me, you're not really my… mo..."

"Danielle Jacqueline Fenton!" Maddie placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders and put that face that only parents make when they are being serious, caring and mad t the same time. "I don't know what will be or what was meant to be, but I know that you are the only good thing Vlad ever made, and that you are not just some defective spare. You are your own person, with your own ideas and your own path to take." Danielle sobbed silently, which made Maddie soften her voice and features a little before speaking in a more tender voice. "And more important: you are not just Danny's clone, you are our youngest daughter, doesn't matter how you were born. _We do love you_ "

Jazz didn't use many details while talking about the 'scissors incident', she just described it all as the psychologist she was ready to be. She talked about the halfa girl having an 'aggravated identity crisis', something about her need for self reassurance which she used to have with Danny around, mentioned stuff about a possible inferiority complex, going "back to her previous depressive state", her fears of not being loved, been seen as a nuisance for being a remainder of Danny's absence and such. Tucker knew he could never understand the full extent of what she had been going through by a mere email, so he opted to ignore his thoughts.

"So… any luck?" The mayor questioned as soon as Sam got Dani away from her. The youngest Fenton sighed and closed her eyes.

"Nothing" she answered, and then concentrated on the few ants that walked by her feet. "Mom and dad have been looking in the ghost zone, Jazz couldn't go but she used all the Boo-merangs; and there's no sign of him." Sam placed her hand on the younger's shoulder. "As a way to put it, it's like he's absolutely… dead". The young politician suppressed a couple of tears from forming in his eyes. He had hoped to find him as a full-time ghost, wandering somewhere (perhaps find him confused or amnesic).

"I think it's time to accept that he's gone, Tuck." Sam voiced the thought in their head. She knew how hard it would be on him, _he_ had suggested to go look for him; he even had been willing to go to the ghost zone by himself if necessary, but his busy schedule had prevented him from doing so.

"He's really gone, huh?" he repeated. "And, apparently, for good..." Tuck sighed and none of them said another word. The silence was not uncomfortable, but it was not exactly welcomed either. That was the saddest stage of grief: acceptance.

"Time to go." Dani suddenly bursted when an alarm in her phone went off "Sorry, guys. Jazz is too busy with the internship; and Mom and dad need someone to make dinner while they work in the lab."

"Are you sure?" Sam questioned worriedly "Won't you be lonely? I can come over to help you if you want…"

"No, it's ok." Danielle said as cheerful as she could. "Besides, Mr. Lancer gave me a load of extra work to compensate the classes I skipped last week, but hey! At least I got the Ghost Box out of his office's drawers!" After that, they said their goodbyes and left in opposite directions.

"Looks like it's just you and me"

"Don't you have paperwork to do, Mr. Mayor?" Sam commented with a tad of intention of mocking him.

"Nah, the ceremony was the only thing on my agenda for the afternoon." He said, taking off his jacket. "I can take a walk with a friend before going home today and catch up with school"

"Alright, do you have anywhere in mind?"

"There is some new juice-and-smoothies place, it opened some days ago." He said as he took a look at his notes, squinting his eyes as he tried to interpret the map shown in screen. "It's just a couple more blocks away. I think you'll like it, they promise everything is 100% organic, eco-friendly, dark-forest themed and their waste is minimal."

"Sounds good", Sam declared. "Say, Mr. Mayor..." she got his attention, thinking it was the moment to touch the subject. "Why did the city council decided to make the memorial and anniversary ceremony the same day?" Tuck grunted.

"I just don't get them! They knew my age when they decided to make me mayor and yet…!" He made a series of distressed hand gestures in the air. Sam patted his shoulder a couple of times while saying:

"Breath, Tuck" which the boy did.

"I'm good, I'm good…" and he took a couple of deep breaths. "Someone said havng a sad anniversary and a happy one just weeks after would be too clashing and bad for the community's mood, whatever that means; and when I argued against it they brought the age-issue" He changed his voice to a deeper tone and used his hands as if they were puppets. "Mr. Mayor, you're just a teenager, despite your good administration, sense of service, and careful planning and organization; you're still some lazy teenager. You are just looking for an excuse to not work". Sam facepalmed and he threw her head back in an exasperated gesture.

"Really?" She complained. "At least you came up with an excuse with the media"

"Wasn't that difficult" he responded. "I wrote a memo saying how dangerous it would be coming here for news agencies from outside, then I proceeded to enlist a series of the possible dangers of visiting a place as haunted as this, blah-blah-blah… and Iet fear do the rest. Danny's identity is still a secret to the rest of the world _post mortem"._

"Good to know"

When they reached the place, they doubted for a moment if they were at the right address. Maybe it was because of the lack of people or, perhaps, the sign saying: "The Witch's Brew" that was more alluring for an arcade or a D&D kind-of place. When they opened the door, they were greeted by a small establishment with four high tables occupying the space in front of a counter and, in the middle, was a baby playpen.

"Are you sure it's here?" Sam questioned before a very fluffy puppy came out of nowhere and barked for attention at the same time they heard a:

"I think he's in the front!" and a guy dressed completely in black punk-looking clothes and black hair came out of the door that was in the back side, followed by a blond girl with blue eyes wearing a witch hat and carrying two puppies.

"Please tell me the door is closed-!" She said when she noticed Sam carrying the small grey puppy. "Sue, customers!" She whispered to his ear before addressing the newcomers. "Welcome to The Witch's Brew, we have potions for all tastes. Would you like to look at ou menu or you have a special request?"

"Are these guys ingredients too?" Tuck asked good-natured joking as he went to path the other puppies' heads.

"No." The guy muttered in annoyance. "We're helping the animal shelter; and these three need their adoption collars before we let them in the playpen for the customers to meet" the stranger explained as he put a purple collar around each dog. "It is not a good idea to let an excitable puppy run without an identification, especially in a place where the door can randomly be opened"

"Shouldn't they be cats?" Sam arched an eyebrow in amusement at the sight of the bone-shaped medal on which was written: _Witches love me, just adopt me._

"Dogs, cats... us, witches, like them both" the girl intervened as she took the puppy Sam was carrying and placed him in the playpen with the others. "...we just want to help these little friends to find a family"

"Natural, organic, minimal waste and helping the community? Is your middle name 'Perfect'?" Expressed the extreme recyclo-vegetarian in a suspicious voice (had it been any other day, she would have even laughed).

"Hehe…" the girl laughed and introduced herself. "I'm Ella, and grumpy-pants over there is my business partner and boyfriend. "

"'Sup? Sulu Daemon, call me D, not even my parents call me Sulu; and only Ella can call me _Sue._ " Sulu then took a black apron with a pattern of little witches flying and went to the back of the counter. "So, what's it gonna be?"

"Hm… I want an _Ice Breaker"_ Tuck ordered as he looked the menu on a blackboard. "You, Sam?"

"I'll have the _Poisoned Apple"_ The boy put on the apron and proceeded to prepare the drinks. "This place seems nice"

"Thanks! It took months of planning, remodeling, hard work and convincing my mom" Ella responded.

"So, you two own the place? How old are you?"

"Oh, Sulu and I are 18, we're taking this year off to work and save some money for college." Ella then joined her boyfriend behind the counter to register the sell in the cashier and help pour the liquids in their biodegradable recycled-paper cups. "Also, my mom was sent to work overseas for some months and was worried about leaving my brother alone, specially with Amity Park being the world's most haunted city."

"Wait, we got the world record?! " Tuck expressed with surprise and a growing feeling of wanting to fire his secretary. "Why did no-one notify me?" He then started to look through his email. "How can this be possible? I'm the mayor!" As Tuck grumbled about that subject, Sam sipped her red drink and smiled, then looked at the surrounding decorations (fake black flowers and foliage, dark green walls,very realistic polymer toads and frogs, the counter itself was made to look like a giant cauldron); the place was, as promised, themed as a dark forest. Her mood was improving little by little.

"This is really good", she declared. "So, you graduated last year or…?"

"Yeah, before my family and I moved here" Ella told them, making Sulu roll his eyes at her friendliness. "Mom's job has made us move a handful of times. Sue, came with us because his parents threw him out of the house as soon as he got his High School Diploma" Ella glanced at him and the others also questioned him with their eyes.

"Sad, but true" the punk said. "You can't choose your family"

"More like…"

"Hey, guys!" a distant voice called, interrupting Ella's response. "Open the door, please!" Sulu sighed in annoyance and went to the room in the back. The blonde was about to keep talking when they heard a series of clashing sounds.

"Hey! Careful!" Sulu's voice came, not sounding happy.

"Sorry! I didn't see that..."

"You're going to kill someone!" And with that, a new person came into the main area, carrying three boxes stacked one over the other and blocking his view. "Carry one box at a time, you fool! We have clients!"

"You need help?" The blonde offered the newcomer that was about to lose his footing as the boxes started to slip to one side.

"No, I'm fine…!" He answered as he balanced the boxes back into position. Yet, the blue-eyed girl took the box from the very top and stoked it away, unveiling his bi-colored eyes, partially hidden by his black bangs. Then, he hurried to leave the fresh boxes of fruit on the floor nearest to the fridge area. "Thanks, Ella…"

Sam and Tuck felt a cold chill going up their spines and a strange sensation in their stomachs. Tuck took off his glasses and massaged the upper part of his nose, like a businessman does after spending too much time in front of a monitor. Sam felt her chest tightening and her throat sore, but she didn't know what to do, her body was numb (she couldn't even remember what she was thinking ten seconds ago), it was like her mind had gone blank.

"The box-bender here is my little brother" Ella hurried to say. "Don't be fooled, he might want to appear all strong and manly but he's a total sweetheart", then she proceeded to lightly hug the aforementioned boy, who was wearing a red sleeveless dragon-printed hoodie over a black long-sleeved shirt with a skeleton print on. The uncovered eyes glided to the side where the customers were sitting and a tint of shyness appeared.

"Hi, I-I'm Engel"

"Hi and sorry but we'll see you later" The mayor took Sam by her shoulder and faced the door. "We'll come by any other day when we're not behind school work. It was nice to meet you all!" and with that they left as fast as they could.

"Th-that boy…" the goth finally spoke. "D-Did you see his face?" Tucker looked her in the eye and slowly both had paled.

That boy was, without doubt, the splitting image of Danny's face.

 _TO BE CONTINUED…_

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 _.-.-A final message from Yami-Horus-.-._

 _¡Dun-dun-dun! That was it, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. And, yes, this is supposed to happen somewhere around 2005-2007, that awkward moment when phones started to have decent-or-so cameras, polyphonic ringtones, some started to reproduce mp3, the early days of video-calls, texting was only 160 characters at a time and each message consumed some cents from your phone plan (if you had a plan and didn't rely on pre-paid). The most advanced piece of mobile technology will be Tuck's Palm Phone (If anyone doesn't know any kind of pre-iphone-era smartphone… you should probably google it xD)_

 _Another thing: I'm managing this story in "thomes", every bit of the thome will be published as a chapter. There will be one day in between each "chapter" published. After a thome is complete, there will be a gap of one to two weeks before the next thome is published. That way, you won't have to wait too much or deal with an unfinished story ;P_

" _But how will I know you published the entire thome?"_

 _Because you'll find "final messages" from me (like, the one you're reading) or you-ll find the typical: "To be continued…"._

 _As always: any doubts, questions, comments, death threats? Leave a review, please._


	2. Tome 2 Part1 Remember

THOME 2: RESTART

 **REMEMBER**

" _Hi I'm Engel"_ Those words resounded in Sam's ears day and night, and even more while she paced in her room, looking as troubled as an old general would in a Zugzwang situation.

The boy they had met the day before was just so similar to Danny! Tucker and her didn't talk much after what happened at The Witch's Brew", mostly they exchanged a series of babbling sounds and questions that only the other could understand, separated by very long pauses:

" _Did you see...?"_

" _I did, was it real?"_

" _I think...?"_ another pause" _Are we losing it?_ "

" _I don't know, maybe?"_

" _How is that possible?"_

" _Coincidence, perhaps?"_

"A coincidence, is another way to call destiny when she's being ' _bee'_ with an ' _itch'_ " Sam whispered to herself. Just what kind of sick game was karma playing on her? First, her superhero boyfriend dies after, _barely_ , a year of having saved the planet; then when she had finally overcome her grief and the depression (or so she thought) she meets this boy that looks exactly like _him_. Maybe Tuck was right about him turning into another amnesic ghost trying to satisfy an obsession that had to do with his dead...

No, there was no way this was Danny being amnesic as Tuck had suggested. This boy had a family, a mother and a sister, and she was pretty sure he was not a ghost.

It was a very painful _coincidence..._

Sam opened her closet, removed a couple of boxes to reveal a galaxy-printed gift bag; and from the inside she took out a black t-shirt that made her memory float away to the past, a little more than a year before:

"It's a Sam Manson original" the goth girl declared after the boys pointed the change in her tank-top that, now, had bones printed on it, as if simulateing her own skeleton, with the addition of a bloody-looking ruby-red realistic heart inside the ribcage.

"Is the disturbing bloody organ necessary?" Tuck questioned.

"Why do you ask? Does it make you feel uncomfortable?" A smug Sam asked with a smirk.

"Yes" Affirmed the other with a raised eyebrow.

"Uncomfortable enough to stop eating meat?" This time it was Tuck's turn to smirk, he had found out Sam's game.

"Not even close. Actually, it is the opposite. I'm dying for a half cooked _fillet mignon_ right now", he answered, making Sam curse under her breath in an exasperated manner. "Nice try, though." The techno-geek complemented.

"Well, I think it looks good." Danny intervend. "I actually like it"

"Really? I can make you a t-shirt, then"

"Great! And we'll match like couples on Halloween" Danny's smiley face dropped when he noticed Sam's puzzled expression.

"You want... matching clothes?" She asked.

"Well… yes. I'd like to… Of course, if you don't want, it's fine too..." He smiled sheepishly as Tucker facepalmed, not sure if crying or laughing at the sight of this. "I'm not good at this romantic stuff, ok? "

A month later, Danny received the promised t-shirt for his birthday (it wasn't a carbon copy of the design on Sam's tank top, since it had the bleeding heart painted in neon green, making it look more ghostly). Danny wore it everyday since and, unfortunately, it didn't survive the attack of a ghost squid at the end of the week. He got another one the next month, which had an accident in his parent's lab. The third-one had been a little more lucky, since Danny had decided to wear it only once a week, but the washer machine chose the right moment to malfunction and wash it with scalding water and ruin the bone print. The forth endured for a month, until Ember appeared with a new scheme and it got burned to ashes. Danny was very unnerved by this. What was a guy supposed to do to wear his new favorite t-shirt without it being thorn, burned to ashes or dissolved in acid? Wear it as a pyjama, perhaps…?

" _SILVER STARS IN MY BLACK NIGHT,_

 _COLD AS ICE BUT BEAUTIFUL …"_

Some lyrics sounded, Sam woke from her journey to the past and took the tears off of her eyes before picking up her phone.

"Hello? Hi Jazz… Yeah… Do you have time? Tuck said he'd be a little late, but I'm sure he'll video-call if he can't make it, so… Ah…? Really? No, I'm fine I… I can't tell you over the phone... Ok, I'll wait then. Oh! And bring Danielle with you, please." She hanged up the phone and took the black skeleton-printed t-shirt back into the bag with the other eleven, then she dedicated a few moments to admire the tag that was still attached to it:

" _Happy Anniversary, my hero"_

For the first time in months, she wished she had given Danny his gift earlier.

...

...

...

…


	3. Tome 2 Part 2 Revenge

**2\. REVENGE**

Meanwhile, somewhere beyond the confines of the material world and the ghost zone, a sinister plan was in the making.

"I trust you've finally mastered the power I've granted you" the firm and severe voice echoed around the nothingness that was most of the Limbo. The palace-like construction that once had been standing layed around the two figures, now as pieces of rubbish, destined to exist as forgotten ruins in someone's memory for the rest of eternity.

"You better believe it, Reina..." The other one responded as he crushed a large piece of rock with his hand. "Who would have thought it? I actually got friends on the other side..." He commented, his words tinted lightly with the witty banter from his former self.

"Our partnership, if you remember, is only temporary" The voice came again, as impersonal and authoritative as before. "Once I get my revenge and get my hands on the vito, you'll be free to go and do with this power whatever you like." Then she added in a more disdainful way: "in the meantime, you better show more respect for the one who granted you your freedom. Unless you want to go back to your 'cozy' prison, Phantom" the ghost grunted in annoyance, but decided to amuse her by kneeling on one leg like an ancient knight would have done.

"But you would still need someone with my power to actually do this, wouldn't you? If you had wanted to put me back there you would have done it already, right? Unless, of course, yu no longer are capable of doing it…"

"Silence, you insolent!" She yelled and pointed her silver staff at him, making him fall to the ground. "Mind your tongue, I might not be able to kill you, but you can still suffer"

"As you order, my queen" was his condescending answer, she responded with an indignant sound, like resting importance to his attempt to mock her.

"Don't forget you owe me. You're bound to me by your own word" She declared and then called in a more calmed voice: "Blue." and a girl dressed in black ragged clothing appeared.

"Did you call, mother?" She asked with a slight bow of her head and her eyes closed.

"How are things on the earthly plane?"

"Everything is tranquility, there are no angels or devils worth mentioning." She responded without hesitation. Reina arched an eyebrow in surprise, this was just too perfect. However, one can not be too cautious.

"What about Archam and Temptel, and Raph and her friends?"

"Both professors are still at the academy. Moreover, Raph and Sulfus have left the academy"

"Left?" Reina stopped in her tracks and let out a mocking, cruel laugh. The little angel and her devil boyfriend had ran away? "Where to? I doubt they'll be going to Angie Town or Sulfuric City. They'd be erased from existence, just like happened to Tyco and Sai."

"For what I heard, mother, their ancestors were not erased, but took the Path of Metamorphosis instead, which Raph and Sulfus have done as well." Reina laughed out loud.

"The Path of Metamorphosis?!" She exclaimed, very much amused with the mention of something she considered as mythical as the touch of king Midas "Do they really think they can actually become human? Oh, of course they do, if they didn't they wouldn't be searching for the impossible. And their friends?"

"They continue their studies in the academy, the quarrels between the group of devils and that of the angels remain in the normal side." Responded.

"Excellent." Declared Reina. "The high and low spheres can't interfere, the second highest and lowest authorities are not concerned, those pesky young angels and devils won't tusk their noses where they're not wanted…"

"What's the plan, mother mine?" a hopeful Blue pleaded as she came to her mother's side.

"Very simple, Phantom!" She called the ghost and the elder woman placed a hand over the other's shoulder: "This is the moment. The eyes that see it all are not looking this way right now. Do as I taught you.

"As you say…" The ghost grunted his answer with annoyance of being treated as a child, but he corrected himself and displayed another fake sign of respect as he had done before by bowing and saying: "My Queen" He left the muggy gray space that was used as creation's prison. As he flew towards the portal that connected this plane with that where Earth existed, a thought came to his mind and made him smirk. His red eyes sparkled and a rather giddy feeling filled his mind as he considered the facts: he had perfected his new powers, and he was stronger than what he had let Reina see during his stay in Limbo, he could easily overpower her any moment (she was nothing without that staff of hers, if only he could get his hands on that thing…), and also, he was now able to go to Amity Park.

The moment his part of the deal was fulfilled, he would be free again.

Finally free…

...

...

...

…


	4. Tome 2 Part 3 Hearts

**3\. HEARTS**

"Are you sure, guys?" Jazz's worried expression voiced the alarms going off in her psychologist mind.

"Jazz, we were both there, we both saw it." Tuck said, his glasses somewhere on his backpack, choosing not to wear them for fear they were tricking his eyes.

"But, that's impossible..." Danielle dismissed the information feeling a little nervous herself (if she saw someone who could be another clone of Danny by herself, she was not sure if she would have stayed as calm as Sam and tuck were).

"She's right. We were there when mom and dad shut down the life support and when…" The redhead could not continue, but hey all knew what she meant...

After the life support was turned off, one of the doctors attending Danny had come to them.

"Uhm… Excuse me, Mrs. Fenton, Mr. Fenton" The doctor called shyly. "I know this is a hard moment for you, but I need to…" She held the papers on her hands a little tighter. "Given your son's _particularity_ , he- I mean _his organs-_ His organs are not eligible for donation." Maddie stared blankly at the forms in the doctor's hands. "However, The Hospital's research department would like your permission to… study how the ectoplasmic tissue could be used to improve medicine…" Maddie tried to regain control of her sorrowful features and suppress the never ending well of tears in her eyes to no avail.

"Yeah, this is not the right time…" Jazz had tried to answer in the name of the family when Maddie interrupted.

"No. It's fine." She declared, her voice still shaking but sounding determined, and aggressively took the form from the woman in the white coat "If my son can help people even after he's…" She closed her eyes and continued "You have our permission". The doctor glanced at Jack, who nodded in response.

"Okay. " The doctor, still a young resident, received the form signed by the woman and, opted for a: "I'm very sorry for your lost" as a response. Jazz's Expression fell a little at the memory of this and murmured to herself: "We were there…"

The atmosphere became too heavy, the air was suddenly thick. Danielle tried to lift the mood.

"Hm… Did you say his name is Engel?" She asked, to what Tuck responded with a nod. "I think I've heard it before at school Engel… Engel… Oh! I got it! The vampire boy! He's in a class with me"

"Vampire boy?" Jazz questioned with an arched eyebrow. The boy she saw didn't give the vibe of being a creature of the night like her, she thought. "Why vampire?"

"Apparently he's sun-allergic, very rare." Danielle answered, a flashback of many rumors coming to her mind "I've heard people who were there when he had a severe reaction after a teacher didn't let him move to a sit far from a window. They say his family had to pick him up before going to the hospital. Must have been scary, he doesn't really come to school that often..."

"Liste, guys. I know meeting this boy could have been quite an impression"Jazz interfered. "I understand, but just remind yourselves he's not Danny, think in the differences" Tuck and Sam scrutinized their brains for an answer.

"His eyes!" Finally exclaimed the goth girl. "Each of his eyes is half blue and half hazel."

"Oh! And his personality!" Tuck added. "He seems to be in the introvert side. For what I could pick he's very awkward with strangers."

"Ok, that's a good place to start, but we still need a proper therapy season" The redhead pointed and took her agenda and a pen from her purse. "Are you free next weekend around… 6:00 to 9:00 a.m.? I'm sorry, my schedule for this month is impossible!"

" _RED LIKE ROSES FILLS MY DREAMS…"_

Sounded Danielle's phone and she sighed annoyed as she checked it and noticed she had 20 new messages.

"Sorry guys, I have a team project and my partner is calling like crazy…" She complained before tying her curled hair to the side, partially covering the glittery pattern around the neckline of her yellow blouse, which combined perfectly with the shiny green mini-skirt and yellow platforms she was wearing, all accented with numerous golden and sparkly bracelets that matched with the golden diadem on her head and the big golden rings hanging from her ears. "Really, how difficult it can be to keep a flour-package baby safe?" She complained. "Now, it turns out the gingerbread-man's story is horror movie material."

"I have to go too" Tucker said. "My parents planned a family night for today, they'll be waiting, they say they see me more in the news than the house. I'll see you girls later." Tuck and Danielle left, giving Jazz and Sam a few minutes alone.

"She's still overdoing it" Sam commented. "Didn't you say you'd talk to her this week?" Jazz hid her face behind her hands and let her body rest on Sam's bed. "I tried, really! I swear I've been trying for months and she just doesn't listen…" Jazz was at the end of her wits, why was her little sister being so stubborn? Was she doing it unconsciously or…? "I think it has to do with me being the annoying big sister. It would be better if you were the one to tell her"

"Me?" Sam looked puzzled for a moment. "Why me?" Jazz frowned and in a firm voice answered;

"You know why. Don't think I haven't noticed" Sam turned around and took a framed picture of Danny and her from her desk. "Sam, it's fine, the world is not going to end if you move on" The Fenton therapist assured her in a softer manner. "Danny wouldn't want you to keep bottling your emotions, and he is certainly not going to come and haunt you if your heart falls for someone new." Then she came to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to feel guilty"

"I know, I know!" Sam stormed away from her, her heart pounding fast as her blood started to boil with anger. Anger at herself. She took a deep breath and replied with: "I just… It's… it's complicated, ok?" Was her defeated answer, with her arms crossed and her eyes pinned to the floor.

"I know. I need to go back to campus, you can email me if you want to talk. I might take a few hours to answer, but I'll do it" The redhead received a quick 'thanks' from the girl with lilac eyes. "Tell me when you're ready" and then left.

As soon as Sam heard the sound of the elder's car's engine fade away, she took the picture once again and held it tightly against her chest. Yes, she had grown closer to Danielle, and she appreciated the girl very much, she had a very deep regard towards her. However, was it really true? Was it real? Wasn't it the wish remaining deep down her heart for Danny to be with her? Was she looking for a replacement?

"I'm an awful person…" She wept.

…

…

…

…


	5. Tome 2 Part 4 Dreams

**4\. DREAMS**

Jazz's day had been normal. It had been the same everyday for months, though she wondered (not for the first time) if accepting the internship had been a good decision. It was a paid internship, in the city, and she was taking most of her courses online at the moment (which _should_ given her time to spend with her family when they most needed her). Strangely, she felt numb; like reality was unbearably normal. She decided she had been lingering for too long in the fourth stage: depression. Because it had to be depression, right? She couldn't find any satisfaction in doing what she usually loved doing, as much as she wanted. The question was… why? The denial she had gone through for three days ( _three days),_ and she was sure the anger and the gambling stages had been lasted two weeks (give or take some days when she wasn't sure if the had mixed together).

"I mean, I can't believe it! I'm the one who's supposed to examine and help others to heal!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms over her head as she layed on the soft pink surface of the therapy couch. "But no! I'm stuck in the depressive stage! Of course, I could just very well be feeling everything dull after the biochemical mess my brain had been in the previous stages… Meaning, I'm about to finally… Accept it." As she said this, something in her head moved and she wondered: accept, what? Why was she exactly in the fourth stage? Why was she in therapy? Well, something must have been really bad with her if she was coming to therapy, but… what was it?

Oh, right. Fourth stage of grief… because of what, exactly?

"Hm… I think I get it…" The one sitting in the big comfortable sofa answered. Why was he covered by that puffy blanket? "You're feeling lonely."

"What?" The redhead questioned with disbelief.

"Maybe you need some human contact" Human contact? She was feeling lonely? Why would she feel lonely? "Imagine you're an oncologist, the best of the best, and one day you find out you have terminal cancer" he exemplified. "And you wonder how can you save other patients if you can't even save yourself" As he spoke, the young ginger felt like she was watching a movie. "However, you decide you don't want to linger in that issue and keep yourself going as if nothing bad was going on, but you can't stop thinking more and more about your cancer. Then, after a while, you keep your life kind-of-normal, but you don't talk about it with other doctors, because you do know what's the treatment and think they'll tell you what you already know, what happens next is that you become reclusive and you avoid talking with them about things that are not from work, you even worry your patients will think less of you. At the end, you've distanced yourself from everyone, you talk with no-one; and when everyone comes to know about your cancer, it's too late."

"That is a little over dramatic, don't you think?" Jazz questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, the point is: you're just like the sick doctor. Doctors can't just treat themselves, they won't see themselves in the same way a third party does, yet the doctor will try and hide it, thinking they don't have anyone to confide in about their own sickness." The guy pointed good naturally, adjusting the blanket over his shoulders. "You're not made out of rock. You have emotions and you need to relieve them once in a while, just like everyone. You're human."

"What do you suggest?"

"I don't know, maybe… relax a little"

"But I can't just go out and " _relax_ ", I have responsibilities!"

"I'm not telling you to go out and party every night," he said as he rolled his blue eyes in exasperation, "what I mean is that you just need a new perspective. I know you can't simply go back and forth to campus and then to the hospital, but I believe you can always use the dead hours in your internship to, I don't know, call Sam or Tuck or Danielle, maybe even your project partners, and stop emailing everyone like you're afraid of using the phone." He suggested, sipping from his chocolate mug. "Or, I don't know, maybe trust your secrets to a stranger; like people do with taxi drivers, maybe a mere acquaintance like that nice lady-assistant… what was her name?"

"Abigaelle" was her automatic response. When had she told him about her? And they were technically not strangers. They talked, but she wasn't the talkative type, and they never exchanged more words beyond beyond "hello" and "Goodbye" or "Where's Dr. Mel?"

"Now that I think of it, it surprises me you've even been able to just do the readings and assignments for school" her therapist commented, amused. "You're usually the kind of person that loves to be in the classroom correcting everything and everyone, including the teachers." Then he added in a light laugh: "I think you lectured Mr. Lancer over a hundred times in your freshman year"

"That I did!" She admitted with a smile. "Perhaps you're right. Perhaps I just… Wait a minute! How do you know about that?!" She stopped in her tracks as she turned to look into the other's blue eyes.

"You're asking _me_?" Danny shrugged and dipped a marshmallow in his hot chocolate before eating it whole. "This is _your_ dream, not mine", he declared with his mouth full. Jazz didn't say a thing.

Danny, her 15-year-old brother, washer therapist, it was really dream.

"And why am I telling _you_ all of this?" She questioned, rolling her eyes and facepalming, but actually happy to see her brother. Even if it was just a product of her brain… And what a creative brain she had! The carpeted floor was limited to a circle around them, with a couple of indoor plants beside each piece of furniture. Beyond, there was only the infinity of space, stars nebulas and the occasional sci-fi ship wandering around. "And, if this is _my dream_ , why does this office look like we're on an island _you_ could of have dreamed of?" Jazz wondered.

"Why should I know? Do I look like Sigmund Freud to you?" He joked and crossed his legs, panicking a little when he almost dropped how chocolate on his baby-blue pyjamas (with a cute pattern of planets, spaceships, astronauts, stars and moons all over). "Though, I must admit, you're a good sister to me. Even in your sleep"

Jazz felt a bunch of information suddenly come to her. Danny had saved the world two years ago. Danny had died a year ago. She was currently coursing her second semester of college. She had been offered an internship and started that same summer as a way to escape her self-created well of pain and duty to her family as therapist, yet she had ended up avoiding herself and her own emotions by being a workaholic. This dream was a product of her own subconsciousness, because she still missed Danny, she needed her brother to fill that empty feeling she had. That's why her head had made this copy of him to listen to her rant (and given him all the commodities for him to be as relaxed as possible, like she liked to see him).

She still wanted her little brother to be healthy, happy and well.

"Hey, dream Danny" she called the product of her brain.

"Yeah?" He answered, now with some cookies taken from nowhere. "Sorry, being able to eat without running away from my own plate… or mug, in this case, is awesome." Jazz smiled. Gosh, her subconscious had a high fidelity copy of Danny at work.

"I know you are a product of my own brain activity mixed with whatever-biochemical-process going on in my head right now, also catalysed by my own emotions and all, but... can I hug you?" She asked, strangely, feeling tears gathering in her eyes.

"That's going to be embarrassing" dream Danny talked through a mouthful of cookies, not sounding as disgusted as he had tried to. "But you're my only sister so..." The mug disappeared from his hands and he came to hug the redhead.

"I wish I had been a better-"

"You're a good sister. You were there for me, and now you're there for Sam, Tuck and Danielle, too!" She hugged Danny with a strong, almost desperate, hold. "You don't have to be strong all the time. Just, remember you are a person too…" What a way for her brain to make her understand the mental stress she had normalized. "You know? If you don't have another metaphorical doctor to turn to, you still have the metaphorical patients who know you and what you're going through with the metaphorical cancer" Dream Danny said, then leaned back to look at her face and said:"Why don't you have a cup of coffee with them? Maybe what you need is to just talk your feelings with those who know what you've been going through" Dream Danny seemed to look somewhere behind Jazz and added: "It's getting late. Remember: you're human, sis…"

Jazz opened her eyes with a smile and crying. She turned to her nightstand to check the clock, she had awaken 20 minutes earlier. Meh! She could use the bathroom first. But before she left her bedroom, she came to the single spot in her bookshelf that was solely dedicated to precious objects, among them a photo of Danny.

"I love you, little bro" She said and left her bedroom. Had she possessed the right virtue, she could have seen the smiling winged visitor standing by her window, petting a small green puppy; and even she could have heard him say:

"I love you too"

…

…

…

...


	6. Tome 2 Part 5 Acquaitances

**5\. ACQUAINTANCES**

"I'm just saying, _maybe_ we're going backwards." Tucker said as he tried to catch up with Sam's walking. "Maybe we're still in the end of the fourth stage or that awkward place in-between, after all, grief is a complicated thing". Sam rolled her eyes and looked more annoyed than she already did (part of that was due to the sudden cold weather not being nice to her and her deep purple crop top). "I mean, look at me! I went back to the gambling stage…"

"Whatever." She grunted. "Listen, I just want to convince myself there is a living guy who just happens to look almost exactly like a pale version of Danny and that has the same liking for skeleton-printed t-shirts, and that this is all a coincidence" _._ She angrily said. "Besides, their brews are good and I like the place. Mark it as my new favorite place for drinks" They came inside the place and the bell rang.

"Welcome!" Engel's voice came from behind the counter, witchy-patterned apron on. "Hey, you two were here the other day. It's nice to have you here again." He spoke as he poured some milk in a plate and came to the playpen, this time occupied by a couple of cats.

"Sam liked the place" Tuck responded accusingly. The girl grunted and, if looks could kill, she would have already stabbed her friend. However, she wouldn't have the same satisfaction she had when she elbowed the young politician with more strength than necessary. "Can I have something sweet?" The geek asked, wanting to get over with this.

"I can recommend you _Toad Juice_ " the boy suggested and proceeded to explain how it was pure natural sweetness that looked like fake slime. Sam looked how he talked and couldn't help but think the same Tucker was in that moment: that was how Danny used to talk about space; it was how he had explained to them how Galileo's telescope had changed astronomy forever.

"Ah… sounds good, let it be two" Sam replied, shocked of finding yet another similarity with Danny. "So, where are D and Ella?" Engel frowned for a moment right before he cut a piece of cactus.

"The lovebirds decided to have a date this afternoon and left me in charge as soon as I finished school work." The pale teen explained with little annoyance. "They must be at the cinema, being gross"

"Dude, sounds like you have an abusive sister" Tucker commented.

"Nah, it's fine" The younger assured him with a dismissive gesture. "With my stupid medical condition, most people treat me either like a freak or like I could drop dead any minute or something. I appreciate when they just leave me alone like nothing can happen"

"Medical condition…?" Sam pretended not to know. Her heart telling her she needed to listen this boy's talk and her brain yelling at her for what she was doing to herself.

"From the genetic wheel of fortune I won the most rare prize of all. Drums please, sun allergy!" The sarcasm in his voice made the other two laugh. "Which includes me being trapped inside during sunny summer days, or wrapped in clothing from head to toe when I go out during the day and risk dehydration. Also, since I can only wear light clothing when it's cloudy or rainy, or already night, I am pale."

"Your life must be hard" Sam added with sympathy.

"Yeah, well… Good news is: I could play mostly at night since I was little, and I went around pranking neighbors when they couldn't stop me. Bad news is: my night activity and my paleness, added to my school attendance depending solely on weather conditions, plus people at school saying I'm a vampire, got me few to no friends"

"Oh…" Tuck said. "No friends at all?"

"Oh, no. I used to have two good friends until recently…" He explained with a joyful expression. "They would sneak out at night to play with me, had lots of sleepovers, long hours of complaining about…" he paused a moment with a grim expression "...stuff and… other things. Unfortunately... I moved."

"But you can still at least phone them." Tuck talked.

"Yeah, I could…" the other responded in a sigh and poured the drinks in their cups. "But it's not the same…" he muttered in a low tone Sam and Tuck almost missed. "Oh great!" He suddenly exclaimed before handing them their drinks. "Sorry, time for closing"

"Closing? It's still early" Tuck checked his watch to prove his point but the boy pointed to the glass door, sunlight starting to reach the playpen with the cats.

"At this hour the sun starts to descend enough to give this place extra light. Some more minutes and I'll be trapped in the back for… a while" He proceeded to curse and complain. "Why did they have to remove the big sign from the building across the street?"

"Need some help?" Sam offered.

"Sorry to ask you this but, can you please close the window shades before you leave?"

"It's okay." Tuck's reply came with a light chuckle, "anything for a…"he was going to say 'friend' but he quickly changed it to "-an acquaintance"

…

…

…

…


	7. Tome 2 Part 6 Feasibility

6\. **Feasibility**

"Yeah… No, I am listening. Darrel… Darrel!" Danielle flew through the park without really looking where she was going, screaming to her phone while passing through bushes and trees. "Listen, I'm kinda in the middle of something right now, I can't pick up the baby, but if you could take it to my place, I'll be glad… No, I didn't mean... I know, it's my homework too... It'll only be alone for barely a couple of hours… It can't crawl away, it's just a package of flour!" The girl suddenly stopped and an ectoblast almost hit her "I'm not just flying around!" She exclaimed. "I know it isn't the issue here..." Several ectoblasts came her way and she hid behind the fountain "That's it, I can't wait for tomorrow to finally divorce you…! It's just a class assignment, don't be dramatic!"

"There you are, ghost girl!" Skulker growled with excitement when he saw Dani.

"Oh, shoot! Talk to you later!" Great, just great. The same morning she had recaptured Skulker, Mr. Lancer catched a cold, and the substitute teacher confiscated her Fenton-Thermos and freed them all. Just Perfect. Now Ember, the Ghost Box, and, at least, a hundred more spooks were running wild through the city. What could be better than skipping last period to go fight against the Lunch Lady ghost? Perhaps being able to actually take notes! Really, she should just bring a camera to the classroom and let it roll in her place. Now, the hundred minor ghosts were easy, Jack and Maddie could take care of them during lunch-break. Box Ghost could wait a day or two. Ember had snapped all her guitar's strings the last time, so she was no immediate treat.

Currently it was just Skulker and her, half chasing and half running away from each other the rest of the afternoon.

"You can fly, but you can't hide" The hunter threatened her.

"Drop it, you're not my mother!" He aimed at her with a special view that could track her even while turning invisible; then she felt several shots missing her for millimeters.

"Danny, dear brother, why did I inherit your sour luck for ghost enemies?" She muttered to herself as she glanced to the partially clouded sky. "From all the things…! Danny, really, if not a spaceship, why didn't you leave me, at least, your Doom password? I could really do with all the stuff you got the last time..." She kept muttering to herself; as she kept flying a clear among the clouds opened and flew to that direction with Sulker following close. Her chaser couldn't really see her with the sun in his eyes, so the moment the hunter ran out of ammo, she suddenly turned and opened the thermos, not giving him time to stop his inertia. "I can't believe that worked!" Exclaimed the triumphant girl, still flying backwards due to the inertia. "Yeah! Green pancakes for dinner… OUCH!" She collided with an inconspicuous pedestrian, better said with his umbrella, which made them both fall "Hey! Careful with the umbrella! Gee..." She complained as she touched the sore spot where her lower back had hit it. What kind of weirdo went to the park with a beach umbrella at evening hours?

Without bothering seeing the poor pedestrian in the floor she floated away and checked time. If she rushed, she could find Darrell midway to Fentonworks and take the fake baby home, make some dinner, and…

Her ghost sense went off and she took a defensive stance. Was it Ember? Box Ghost? (Please not Spectra, she always gave her a pounding headache! )How weird, usually she would hear the alerting scream of somebody or the maniatic laugh of the culprit. She turned invisible and scouted the park, looking for trouble.

Nothing. No movement, no people, not even a sound.

Weirder.

Usually there were still some noises at the park at this hour (people walking their dogs, stray animals making noise, birds, squirrels and other fauna moving in the bushes; heck even the moths around the streetlights were audible! Moreover, the street lights were not as bright as they usually were, they seemed dim and (how ironic) ghostly. Something was happening around her. The air was too light, it was a bit difficult to breath; and mist came out of nowhere.

"Alright, whoever you are..." the girl murmured to herself "... I'll just take care of you and I'll leave". She felt a shiver climb up her spine. What was that? She was a ghost, if she was in human form, that could be explained, but not like this. She turned around and catched a white flame in the distance.

"Remind me again, if I'm gonna be charged with this boring job, why take all that training?" A deep voice asked.

"Precautions." The other, a feminine, younger one, replied. "Mother's got enemies you could not defeat with how you were before. Now, do your job"

"Yeah, sure" Danielle stopped behind a bush as soon as she had reached the owners of those voices. One was a hooded female, the other a tall muscular ghost with flaming white hair. "Where?" He demanded.

"There, that rock will be fine. Many portals open naturally in this part anyway" The ghost took a strange white sphere and phased it through the rock.

"Perfect" The female said.

Danielle took out her phone and, with as much zoom as it could manage, took a clear snapshot of the two. Unfortunately, the sound gave away her position. She turned invisible again and tried to go intangible and escape by going underground, but a strong hand snatched her by her ankle moments before she could had done so.

"What do we have in here…?" The ghost with red eyes asked mockingly.

"Let go you-!" The teen demanded, surprised to see Danny's iconic "D" on this guy's torso and charging some ecto blasts in her hands and eyes.

"Or what?" Danielle shot, but the bigger ghost moved his head, dodging her attack. "Behave yourself, brat!" He exclaimed and threw Dani to the ground, not giving her time to phase through it. The girl felt pain all over like she hadn't in a while, but still tried to break free from his hold. Why did this guy looked so much like Plasmius? Once again, she tried to blast him while still being trapped in his hold, but he blocked it with his arm. The mysterious ghost seemed to grow mad like someone being bothered by a mosquito, and decided to blast the girl directly on the chest. Dani screamed in pain, and then she was left to fall to the ground, limp.

Her aching body ordered her to stay down and give in to the black of unconsciousness, but she kept fighting the need to close her eyes. She was so concentrated in staying conscious, that she never realized when she let the white energy rings appear by her midsection and turn her into her human form.

"Hm… Seems like there is another one around…" She heard the ghost say, clearly a bit surprised, yet unimpressed. "Hmp! Doesn't matter. I can take you. I already did"

"Don't do anything rash" the female with him intervened. "Remember, our presence must remain secret".

"With this mist, no-one will know what happened here… UGRH!" The ghost grunted as something collided with him and made him fly into a nearby tree.

"Who's there?!" The woman called, her too being attacked by the same thing. Danielle could barely keep her eyes open, but she could still notice the blur of something attacking the two. Whatever it was, it could also produce ecto blasts, which left both the ghost and the girl drained.

"Our mission here is done. Let's get out of here!" The female yelled. The other ghost, rather reluctant, came beside her, and they slowly vanished in the depths of the mist and the dark.

Exhaustion almost took over Danielle when she saw the blur from before moving closer. What was it? Her eyelids were feeling so heavy, she couldn't concentrate neither in keeping them open nor in deciphering what that was. She closed her eyes and tried to get enough strength to, at least go intangible. She couldn't. Even worse, she lost consciousness for an instant. When she opened her eyes again, she recognized the blur of gray from before, except for, as she opened her eyes and her vision became clearer, and the shape more defined, she found something familiar about it. The halfa girl blinked and, among the few traces left from the mist, she distinguished a human figure dressed in black clothing, glowing softly like his snow-white hair and toxic green eyes"

"Danny?" Dani called weakly, and feeling strangely giddy, despite being covered in dust and bruises. The other, who had kneeled beside her, removed her bangs from her face, so she could see clearer. Yes, it was Danny! "Danny, it's you! Why haven't you talked to us? Where have you been?" The other didn't respond, just looked at her with a sheepish smile before getting back on his feet. "No, wait...!"

He turned around and flew away.

 _TO BE CONTINUED..._

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

 _-First, a message from Yami-Horus-_

 _Well, this was tome two for you people, I'll update in a week! See you!_

 _If you're wondering:_

 _Zugzwang is "a situation in which the obligation to make a move in one's turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage"._

 _Sam's ringtone is the song "Blood on My Hands" by Xandria._

 _Dani's ringtone is "Red Like Roses" from RWBY_

 _P.S.: As always, any doubts, comments, suggestions, dead threats...? Write a review._


	8. Tome 3 Part 1 Message

_0-0-0-_ **First, a message from Yami-Horus** _-0-0–0_

 _Guess who's back? Me and the next tome. Would you believe I had forgotten when to update? *nervous laugh*. Sorry!_

 _You might have already noticed this is crossovered with Angels Friends... I am going to change the cathegory to crossover later, I think no-one is going to read this when in the crossover section, so I'll wait for some reviews and THEN I'll change it ;)._

 _Now, enjoy your reading!_

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0–0-0-0-0–0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

TOME 3. WHO'S BACK?

"Dani Fenton" called Mr. Lancer. No answer. He glanced up from his list. "Hm… absent again" He had just made a mental note about what extra material to give her when the girl appeared at the door.

"Dani Fenton, here!" She yelled, a little out of breath. "Sorry Mr. Lancer!" The man was about to make a comment on the bell that rang five minutes ago when he noticed the bandages covering her hands and gauze covering a side of her face (her legs must have been bandaged too for her to wear a very long skirt. There were probably more if she was wearing a long sleeved jacket). He raised an eyebrow. "May I come in?"

"Take your sit, Miss Fenton." The girl did as he said and the man continued taking attendances, glancing to her when he noticed she had been looking intently at her phone's screen. The ghost girl was engrossed in trying to decipher the meaning of a mystery she had (quite literally) on her hands: a text message in her outbox -the most recent- _she_ hadn't sent. Actually the halfa had been very surprised when she first read the message with the words:

"HELP. PARK. NOW"

" _What happened?" Jazz had interrogated her as she dressed her wounded cheek._

" _New ghost" The cloned-one said. "Big, mean and with a terrible swing. I wasn't really trying to fight him, but he saw me first..." She admitted. "... how did I get here?" She had questioned Jazz and Sam who were attending her in the Lab's medical bay. Even when she was feeling fine, the bandages she had on her arms and legs, plus the IV (with what she supposed were pain relievers) reminded her how difficult her fight had been._

" _We brought you" The answer came from Sam. "Jazz told me she'd be home early, so I came. I was about to leave when I got your message"._

" _Message?" Dani looked puzzled. "I didn't send any message"_

" _Well, you did" Sam took out her phone and showed the short text._

" _But I didn't send any message…"_

"Miss Fenton, put away that cell phone!" Startled her the voice of Mr. Lancer, and the girl placed it in her pocket. "I'll see you after class in detention" The girl cursed mentally and tried to keep her attention focused in the English teacher, though she couldn't stop thinking about the message.

She was absolutely sure she didn't write that message. When the fight ended, she was so tired she could feel her eyelids drooping. She was 100% sure she would have lost consciousness while writing, anyway. Unless somebody else had written it; the thing was she was alone...

Unless... seeing Danny hadn't been a dream.

...

…

…

…


	9. Tome 3 Part 2 Silenced

" _A coincidence, is another way to call destiny when she's being a 'bee' with an 'itch'"_

A black haired girl whispered to herself as she was being watched by someone in deep concentration. A frame was floating in the middle of the room, showing her image as if it was a window, which the observant felt tempted to try and come through, even when he knew it wouldn't mean much.

"You _do_ know this makes you a stalker, right?" A raspy voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"I'm not!" The observant protested, breaking his concentration in the process and resulting in the window disappearing. He frowned and then glared at the devil in the room with annoyance. "Now, look what you did...!" The boy accused the other. "Tell me this, how is it possible that I was not talking about you, and yet, the devil appeared." The visitor laughed mockingly. "What do you want?"

"I was just checking where you were, my little angel is looking for you," the-one-the-devil-had-startled tried to recreate the same window and showed the same image of the same girl, crying, alone in her room. "When was that?" The devil interrogated, ignoring the other's partial annoyance.

"A few days ago" He responded, sorrow and pain in his voice. "I… I feel bad about all of this. Did I tell you they've been coming? And I think Dani is been looking..." He commented.

"Something happened?" The devil's demeanor changed, now fearing things to become complicated. "Did they say anything?"

"No" the other answered. "Just… mundane things. This time, at least." He admitted "I just hope…"

"Don't worry. The special inhibitor in Pup's collar will keep you from spilling the beans"

"I know, but I feel bad about all this lies. How is it possible for me to even do it if it's 'against my nature'" The first one rambled, a little stressed out.

"As you are now, you can't lie for your own personal gain nor to hurt others; in short, no selfish reasons, unlike my kind. It's called a 'white lie' for a reason. " The other justified. "You're just avoiding to tell the truth for the greater good, it's the right thing to do. Now, change, we're leaving" The devil left the room and the boy sighed.

"Honestly, I feel something _so wrong_ doing the right thing"

…

…

…

...


	10. Tome 3 Chapter 3 Human

**_-.-.-.-First, a message from Yami Horus-.-.-.-_**

 _Hi! Sorry I made you wait, ;P You know I write several episodes in advance and when I realize, I'm off schedule xP._

 _Also, sorry for the short chapters, sometimes I write the chapter first and then cut it and... well, this happens._

 _Please enjoy!_

 _-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-_

 _BOOM!_

"AH!" Jazz woke up. She was sitting in her desk in the psychiatric wing of the hospital. For what she saw in front of her, it seemed like she had been filling a report to Dr. Mel about her last patient with a suspect of undiagnosed ADHD before her unplanned nap. "What did just-?"

"A kid's been scaring people with exploding balloons" A lady in blue said beside her as she looked out of the window. "Nothing like good old-fashioned mischief". She chuckled and then glanced at the girl. Jazz sighed and tried to control her fast-beating heart while checking the clock. It had been three hours since lunchtime, her time to leave was still an hour and a half away...

"Go home" the old assistant practically ordered. "You need to get some sleep, missy"

"Huh…? No, it was just the music in the radio I..."

"Girly, I admire your type. Really, hard-working, cheery-and-mature, wise-beyond-their-age, you are a force of nature." The old woman pointed in a grandmotherly way. "I see you care so much for others and you're very empathetic. I'll say it like this: you've got a heart of gold in there." Jazz felt her cheeks go pink and a pinch of embarrassment. "But I wonder if you're caring enough for yourself" The elder pointed. "You might have some good concealer going on under your eyes, but I can say you still need sleep, leisure and a good meal; not the "A and C" diet you seem so used to"

"A and C…?"

"Anything and coffee" The other interrupted to clarify, and half scoldingly said: "You're not a robot, young lady. You're human"

" _You're human"_ Resounded in Jazz head. Dream Danny had said the same. _Eeyup_ , her brain had taken its time to turn on the red lights.

"… Ok, I think I'll just finish this report and…" Jazz heard a light cough and looked up to find the glare the woman was giving her "...I'll... finish it… later?" She said and the elder nodded, severity still in her features: "I'll just take the rest of the patients' files…" Another scary glare and a growl came her way. "...and I won't bring them home with me…" The lady nodded again, humming pleased. "I'll go home and right to bed" The other's glare disappeared and smiled pleased. "Can you tell…?"

"I'll handle my wife" The old assistant responded dismissively. "And I, in your place, would just stay my given shift hours, not extra. You're leaving Mel so little work left, she'll think she can be lazy".

"Thank you Misses A." The ginger girl took her purse and jacket, and noticed a single neat white feather by her feet. Was it a bird's? How had it come inside if the windows were closed? Whatever, that didn't matter. What mattered was that she had time to rest and, perhaps, even have dinner with her family.

"See? I told you she would do the right thing" A voice said, unheard by the the wo living females in the room. "The score is 5-1"

"Alluding her motherly instinct to help a stranger? That's cheating, my little angel!" Another answered.

"You're just a sore loser, Sulfus." The first one replied.

"And you even played with the radio? I'm starting to think I'm a bad influence."

"What? I needed some music. Race you home!"

…

…

…

...


	11. Tome 3 Part 4 Talk

Danielle was back at the park after she got out of detention. The sunlight should help her see the place where the other ghost had appeared and to find whatever he had hidden in that rock. Of curse, this could have been easier if three portals hadn't suddenly appeared in the area, making a bunch of annoying ghosts haunt the park.

Since when could three bigass portals open at the same time in the same area?

"I swear, Danny!" She murmured to herself while she flew around the area looking for more wild ghosts (after trapping three ecto-squids in her termos). "If you've been a ghost all this time, and you've been taking a vacation while I take care of all the ghosts, I'm gonna be so mad-OUCH!" She exclaimed as she collided with a big beach umbrella. "Starting with whoever this guy is…" The girl complained, this time actually paying attention to the person lying on the ground. "You again?!"

"Sorry…!" She heard the boy apologize. "Not everyone can just be intangible at will, miss Ghost-hero" The ghost girl was taken aback when she heard the retort.

"Wha-?" Long sleeves, hood, umbrella…? She recognized this fella. "Aren't you the…?"

"Please, don't say 'Vampire Boy', I prefer Night Owl, thank you very much". A slightly unnerved expression accompanied that comment.

"S-Sorry…" She answered, still a little dumbified."I just… Uh, the nickname kind of stuck more than your actual name…"

"Is it really that difficult to remember Engel Daniels? Sure Engel is an uncommon name but Daniels isn't" Dani smirked at his distress, a familiar feeling nagging in the back of her head.

"You gotta admit it sounds cooler, and it just rolls out of the tongue" She kept teasing the poor victim of her lack of attention. "So… you're taking a walk...?"

"I wanted to come to the park" He answered as he picked himself up, "my sister said it was ok as long as I took this thing with me…" He pointed to the umbrella. "Sometimes I just want to see things during the day" He explained. "I mean, I love starry nights as much as everyone, but some greenery is also welcome"

"Oh!" The girl exclaimed as realization came to her "It was you! I'm sorry about the other day." The girl quickly apologized as soon as the other finished. "It had been a tough day and I… I was rude to you, you didn't deserve it"

"Don't sweat it. My days would be tough too if I was related to a fallen hero" Engel pointed, understanding (or trying to) .

"Please, don't call my sibling that" Danielle pleaded with a sigh. Danny was not a fallen hero, he had just happened to die while still being a hero (and, although she had just admitted to have had a bad day, her heroic career was not even close to how it had been for Danny). And she knew she had it easy with Lancer giving her extra assignments, her parents helping contain other ghostly threats, and Valerie doing ghost hunting at night, in addition to Sam, Tuck and Jazz being there to back her up).

"Sorry. Do you miss him?" Awkwardly asked the pale boy.

"Sometimes I do, most of the time I'm mad at him for leaving so soon and leaving me to deal with pesky ghosts alone" The ghost girl tried to joke, but melancholy visibly invaded her.

"Are you ok?"

"It's nothing, I just… I'm still wondering what happened with him. I mean, if ghosts can actually die… I'm sorry, it's a very complicated subject and all..."

"Well…" the boy answered, even when Dani had implied an answer wasn't needed " I'm not an expert, but a ghost is a person that died and had unfinished business that made them stay, right?" The boy interrogated.

"Yes, we're on the same page there"

"Ok, I heard that an exorcism was referred to as 'the dead's death', but it didn't actually, you know, _kill-destroy-evaporate-them-into-nothingness_." He explained. "But what it _did_ was liberate them from whatever that bound them to the plane of the living" Danielle listened, not sure she wanted to know what he would say next. "This might sound a little crude, but it was like _force_ the ghosts continue their journey to wherever-people-are-meant-to-go-when-they-die. Of course, if all ghosts were like the Canterville ghost, it would be easier and less _The Exorcist_ scary"

"The what-ghost?"

"Uh, Canterville Ghost? You've never read that story? The whole deal with the ghost was, to put it simply, that he was bored and the only fun he had was scaring people. At the end, the girl finds out the reason of it all was that he couldn't open the cemetery gates to rest in peace."

"Ok… that's kind of random." Danielle commented with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah, the author pretty much put up a _Deus Ex Machina…_ I think I have a better example. Some time ago I was looking through some newspapers in the library and found something about a fire about ten years ago:

One of those big houses in a rich neighborhood, big garden, piscine, the whole show. Everything burnt to a crisp. The fire was difficult to contain, but the neighbors were all convinced the house was the only thing to be worried about, since the family had the habit of leaving for a camping trip every year. However…"

"There was someone in there?" Predicted the ghost girl, entwined with this tale that she could swear was being projected in the back of her head.

" _Yep._ The eldest daughter died". He affirmed with a pinch of sadness. "The mother of the girl said her daughter had signed up her band for a music competition that weekend, and had been practicing the entire week, she had practically begged them to let her stay home just so she could audition. Coincidentally, the firefighter department said it was a short circuit in the garage what provoked the fire. The mother also mentioned her daughter's only dream was to play for the whole world to see and having the crowds calling her name." The boy with bicolor eyes paused for a moment. "I suppose her unfinished business would have to do with: her audition or the people calling her name in a great concert or something like that. Maybe she's out there with her guitar, still burning… Sounds like our local rocker ghost, doesn't it?"

"Ember?!" Danielle exclaimed not believing what she had deduced.

"Yep, her".

"But she already did that once. Live broadcast, mental control… If what you're suggesting is real, why didn't she, you know, go away, then?"

"I really doubt she remembers, but it certainly has something to do with her constant hunger for more and more fame and attention." The other kept talking as if he was connecting dots himself "Maybe she has a vague idea about her dream being her unfinished bussines, but she doesn't really know a thing. I really doubt she remembers even her own mother. Perhaps, by reminding _why_ ghosts do _what they do,_ they would be freed from this world and go away... "

"Ok, stop". Danielle intervened, her mind three seconds away of being blown "Let me see if I got this right: ghosts have unfinished business, sometimes they forget what those issues are, but unconsciously do stuff that has to do with 'finishing them'…and by being reminded of their unfinished business they - I repeat: unconsciously- want to finish, they could realize they've already finish them… and they, as stereotypically shown in movies, need help to go away? So, we could, basically, get rid of ghosts permanently by… giving them therapy?"

"That's a way of seeing it" He shrugged. "It might seem like dying all over again, since we don't know where people go when they die." He paused and Danielle used those few seconds to try and make that theory fit among her knowledge about ghosts. "I'm pretty sure your brother didn't just go _puff_ , and out of existence. He's probably out there, but not like ghost-ing as he usually did… am I making any sense?"

"Probably not, but thanks" She smiled. "Sorry about bumping into you again"

"It's fine, falling on my butt is not as life threatening as a day in the beach for me." He looked around and, after making sure the sun was low enough, he closed his umbrella and carried it over his shoulder. "I should get back home. It's my turn for making dinner."

"Nice talk, Mr. Night Owl" She said and looked in the direction he went. Danielle now understood what Sam and Tuck had said the other day. This guy really resembled Danny a lot, from his way of speaking to his sarcasm. Except his eyes, of curse, they seemed be mostly hazel, but parts of blue could be seen too. It was very odd, that color combination reminded her of-

" _RED LIKE ROSES…"_

Her phone rang and got her out of her thoughts.

"Hello…?"

"Finally! I've been trying to reach you for 30 minutes, young lady!" Tuck practically yelled, urgency implicit in his voice and blasts could be heard in the background.

"What's going on?!"

…

…

…

...


	12. Tome 3 Part 5 Consultation

"We have a situation! Your parents are not answering, and Valerie's gear is busted since yesterday-" Something could be heard shattering against a hard surface and he finally yelled over the line: "Just come to my office!"

Ten minutes was the time it took her to fly to cross the town to the City Hall just to find it being a big ectoplasmic-mess, so big she had to open her way through by fighting shapeless —but not less dangerous— masses of ectoplasm and avoid people with red eyes trying to capture her. It was another ten-to-fifteen minutes until she reached the place where Tuck was.

"Tuck, you're fine!" She yelled as she came inside the Mayor's office and tried to close the door behind her without hurting any of the people being controlled. "What exactly is going on? What happened with all the security?"

"Don't know! They came out of nowhere, it's like they did something with the security system's powersource…" He responded with urgency as he frantically worked in a panel behind his cabinet; seconds later, the wooden door finally gave in and the semi-zombie City Hall personnel came in "I thought you said you got all the runaways back in the thermos!" Tuck yelled to the girl fighting mere feet away from him as he rewired the City Hall's anti-ghost system.

"I did! These most have come out from the portals..." She answered getting the attention of two overshadowed- s that were just about to jump over where the genius was.

"What portals?" Tuck asked, he barely got to register a: "I'll tell you later" above the noise of fighting, yelling, growling and screeching coming from the various ghosts; and came back to work even more frantically, given the amount of people flooding the office.

"Damn it". The fighting girl muttered, still unsure of what to do: fight the overshadowed people until the ghosts got out of them and apologize later? Or keep entertaining them until Tuck was done reactivating the MistyFenton? (Lovely name. The thing was, basically, an air humidifier that made the air unbearable for ghosts, and that was the only name Jack Fenton himself could come up with?). Ugh… better make sure before deciding anything.

"Eh, Mr. Mayor, I know you're under a lot of pressure already but… Are you done?!" She asked as sweetly as she could while keeping the red-eyed City-Hall-worker-zombies at bay.

"Almost...!" He interrupted himself after feeling a slight electric shock. Danielle tried her best to keep the overshadowed-people for longer without hurting them to no avail. They were getting closer and several other ghostly creatures tried to keep the techno-geek away from his current task.

"How about now…?!" The ghost girl insisted, just about to go with more strength.

"No!" The other responded, anger building up in him as he felt the pressure and ghosts trying to stop him and messing with his tools.

"Now?!" Insisted the girl, half conscious that keep asking every ten seconds wouldn't help quicken things up.

"Can you shut up for a minute, Danny?!" He yelled, barely aware of what he had said. Whatever, he would apologize as soon as this crisis ended. She would understand. Anyway, the cable work was done, now he had to re activate the system and…

 _Voilà!_

"Danielle, ghost off!" The girl phased through the floor to get away from the current opponents surrounding her, and re-appeared beside the Major right before changing back to her human self. Some hissing sounds could be heard coming from a small panel next to the AC and a green mist filled the room, making the overshadowed people bend in pain and the present ghosts roar in agony.

In a matter of minutes, the City Hall's workers had their eyes back to their normal color and were released from the possession they had been in, all the while hordes of tiny gremlin-looking ghosts came out of them like wanting to run for cover. As every ghost in the place was weakened and/or panicking with the MistyFenton working, Danielle took a vacant termos from Tuck's toolbox and captured them.

"Woah… what happened?" Some intern was the first to ask after he came back to his senses.

"What happens is that you all will go home now while I call the cleaning service" Tuck assured them as calmly and composed as his exhausted mind let him. "James, Janice, would you please schedule a security reunion for tomorrow, please?"

After some more instructions were given (and several apologies too), every City Hall worker left for their homes, leaving Danielle and Tuck alone. The young politician let himself collapse against his comfy design-for-gamers desk chair (a bit bitten, scratched and covered in ectoplasmic-fluid stains).

"Are you okay?" The hero-in-training questioned as she poked his cheek.

"I'm too old for this…" He whined melodramatically. Danielle rolled her eyes, the day must have been already particularly stressful before the ghosts invaded the office. "My old bones are not as they used to, my brain is going numb. In the past, I could have reactivated the system in half the time… My memory is blurry..." He cut the drama and hurriedly said: "Oh, and sorry about-"

"It's fine" The girl interrupted, trying to ignore the awkward feeling inside of her. She repeated her personal mantra (" _I'm not Danny's substitute. I'm not Danny's substitute"),_ inside her head a couple of times before continuing: "You were stressed, ghost invasion needed to be subjugated, time was against you, you were occupied with more important things than pronunciation. Say, Tuck, can you help me identify a ghost? I've never saw him before"

The technogeek sat straighter on his chair, attempting to shake off the exhaustion and lazy-feeling building in him, he turned on the computer and cracked his knuckles. He opened a database file filled with ghosts' info.

"How did it look like?" He asked as lethargic as one who has spent hours in front of a computer would.

"Big…? Muscly…? Red eyes and fangs like Vlad's, but with white flamy hair like Ember…" She started to vaguely describe her attacker. "Wait, I took a photo… Not the best quality, but I hope it works" She mused as she looked through her phone's memory for the partially distorted picture. "Have you seen this guy?"

The techno-geek glanced at the compact flip-phone's 128-per-160-pixel-screen. The image had been zoomed to the max, some things had been flattened and would better be identified in the default size of 640x480 photo-files usually had; but he could see a mass of color that had the proportions of a humanoid figure dressed in black and white, a familiar white cape and that flaming hair...

The geek's eyes opened with terror and incredulity. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and erase any trace of drowsiness he could of have left.

"No..." Tuck gasped and took the phone from the girl's hands. "No, no, no…" He muttered right at the beginning of a panic attack. "It's impossible! He's not supposed to be here!" He exclaimed as his mind floated into a dark cloud of thoughts:

Was this why they couldn't find Danny?

He turned into… _that?_

Why didn't he thought of it?

Why didn't he took precautions for ghosts like this one?

How could he be so stupid?!

"Tuck! Tuck, what is it? Who is this guy?" The girl called him and brought him back to the reality, where his body was visibly shaking and his breath was uneven. He took a deep breath at the time he said:

"Someone... that should not exist" Dani took those words and something inside felt wrong.

"Before, well, _you_ …" he began "this guy appeared". Dani felt the shock pass her body like a high voltage.

"Another clone?"

"A clone is _a_ _way_ of calling him, but he isn't one" Tuck replied, trying to restart his own brain that had just stopped working.

"Then, who is he?" Danielle insisted. Tuck checked the security cameras in his PC and, after confirming there was nobody else in the building, he pressed a hand against his forehead. He really was feeling old.

"When we met Clockwork, he had come in order to test Danny, but also to make sure…" he looked back at the small picture in the phone's screen and felt a shiver climb down his spine. "... _he,_ didn't happen". Silence. The geek tried to look somewhere else as memories came ot him. "That week we were supposed to take that big test that would decide our future"

"What test?" she questioned innocently. Tuck laughed, he had forgotten that had been the last year that thing was applied (changes in administration and it turned out to be an obsolete and useless resource).

"Doesn't exist anymore" he commented with a light chuckle " Now, the ting is Danny found the envelope with the answers after fighting a ghost. For us, there was a blur of a week. A ghost girl claiming to be the lunch lady and the Box Ghost's daughter appeared…"

"Ughh…"

"That's what your brother said" he commented and went back to the telling "then some scary ghost tried to kill the Fentons, Sam, and me; Danny came to the rescue, Clockwork turned back time to the time of the test, and presto! Danny returned the answers".

"Sounds like a normal Tuesday to me", she commented. Tuck rolled his eyes at that.

"We lived our lives as if nothing had really happened, until Danny's secret was revealed, then whatever-clockwork-did-to-our-memories sort of wore off and we remembered. Afterwards, Danny told us about… _him._ " Tuck's fear went away to be replaced by a wave of sadness. "Apparently, in an alternative timeline, Danny didn't return the answers; thus, Mr. Lancer wanted to have a word with the Fentons, meeting place was the Nasty Burger. Alternative parents and Jazz went, and so did alternative me and Sam for moral support. Long story short: Danny was just in his way to meet with everyone when there was an explosion that killed us all in front of his eyes"

"No…" Dani looked horrified at the mere thought of it. She considered losing Danny had been painful beyond words, but losing mom, dad, Jazz, Sam and Tuck all at the same time? That would be devastating.

"Alternative Danny then went to live with Vlad. Turns out Vlad, who always wanted to have Danny as his son, really did care for him and wanted to help him overcome his grief. Vlad modified some Fenton Gauntlets in order to take Danny's pain away, alternative Danny accepted the offer and…"

"Wait, just… just… What modifications did he-? You know, how could the gauntlets do that? " Danielle interrupted.

"Don't know. I just know that Vlad's little experiment didn't go as expected; and ended up separating the ghost-half from the human-half. The ghost-half knew he was incomplete, attacked Vlad and took _his_ ghost, half, absorbed him and took his powers. I think whatever negative emotions Danny's ghost-half might have had inside were a lot more intense than Vlad's long-years of accumulated resentment, because his consciousness remained while Vlad's disappeared"

"Ghost-Danny got rid of the human-half and left to become… _him_. Vlad stayed hidden ever since" Tuck searched for something in the database and showed the file to Dani. There was no photo, just a sketch portrait (done by Sam), a brief description of his powers; also, it was labeled as: "no immediate treat".

"The last time, our Danny got to beat him with a couple of Fenton inventions, he even overpowered him -that's when he found out he could use the Ghostly Wail- Danny weakened him enough to trap him inside the termos and gave it to Clockwork to keep, just in case he tried to come again to ensure his existence in the future".

"But, if he escaped... we are not safe". The girl trailed.

"Yes, and I'm not sure how to proceed. He can't ensure his existence now that our Danny is dead, but he still has an appetite for destruction" Panic started to build up inside him again and covered his face before letting out a muffled: "What are we gonna do now?"

…

…

…

...


	13. Tome 3 Part 6 Word

_Beep_.

 _Beep_.

Voicemail.

 _Sigh_.

"Hi, Valerie! Hey, it's me Danielle… I…I I've left you like five voicemails already. I'm getting worried, Tuck never told me why your equipment was giving you trouble. You're not hurt, right? Are you okay? If you need some spare parts or something, just call me. Ok-? You know, just call me as soon as you get this, please". Danielle hanged the phone and sighed again. Valerie was fine, right? Maybe she wasn't answering because she was studying hard for college entrance exams… Or maybe the evil Danny found her and…

No. No. Bad brain, bad. Giving her all those pessimistic scenarios was not right!

Valerie was fine, but perhaps… Perhaps she just followed some random ghost or something and crashed with a tree and broke some stuff, hopefully not a bone… But what if it was evil Danny and Valerie was now one of the Ghost Zone's permanent residents?!

"No. Danielle, focus." she scolded herself. "Valerie is perfectly able to take care of herself. She's fine. Now, do _your_ part". The ghost girl proceeded to come activate the training systems. The doors were locked and the ghost ray-guns pointed directly at her. If there was an alternative version of Danny out there with about ten years of experience, _and_ with more ghost powers than her, she didn't have another option than to be ready for confrontation of any kind. Thus, since the day of the ghost invasion in the City Hall, she had been training double time with every piece of training equipment she could use from the lab and the house's gym.

Alone… Which was weird.

Very few times she had trained all by herself; usually, Jack or Maddie would be there for her training sessions, when Jazz, Tuck and Sam were too busy to help her. At least, they've been there when she could no longer do it with Danny….

She did some stretching and cracked a few knuckles, ready for a heavy season. The system was now adjusted to Danny's level, since there wasn't anyone there to stop her. If she was going to inevitably meet again with the alternative-one, she wanted to know how far behind her brother she actually was.

" _Welcome to the training room"_ Her memory echoed as she evaded deadly rays and some more physical obstacles.

Danny had brought her here right after the adoption papers were done (she was still trying to get used to "mom" and "dad" and the whole family dynamic). How were the Fentons able to build such huge high-tech facility anyway? That place was almost twice as big as the entire upper floor. She looked at the many weapons and the intermittently-opening portal in the back. At some point, she stopped paying attention and the doubts she still had about the new arrangements came to mind.

" _..._ the rays have motion sensors, that's new, not just ghost sensors, that makes it even more difficult than before. I have the bruises to prove it...! Danielle?" Danny called her, noticing her distraction.

"Motion sensors, right. Those are new, I'm listening!" She tried to cover her lack of attention, which the other picked up.

"Are you still worrying?"

"I-I … no. I just… I just can't believe it yet- I-" Danny raised an eyebrow. "OK, fine. I am. It's just… this is going to be weird. People will start making questions about why we're so alike if I am adopted; and what if they actually find out I am a clone? What if mom and dad feel like I'm just… a copy of you?"

"Dani, I think you might have a bit of fruitloop in you." Danny tried to lighten the mood...

"Hey!"... and succeeded.

"Seriously, nobody is going to find out you're a clone; and, if someone does, so what?There are people all around the world that are adopted, and they look so much like the rest of the family, that people never notice; and there are people that look exactly like their older siblings did when they were younger, people will brush it all as a coincidence. You have nothing to worry about." Danny assured her. "Besides, if we use the clone-thing as a recurring joke, it'll be a secret perfectly kept, hidden in plain sight. Oh, and, before you start overthinking again… think of our resemblance like this: identical twins are natural cloning; you are my clone, thus an artificial twin, and if I say you're my sister, you're my sister. Nothing can change that." The girl smiled wide. "And no, things are not going to be weird, we are alike, and have common interests, but we both know you are your own person" The girl smiled a bit, just a moment before the teen added: "… and possibly part fruitloop". The ghost girl frowned at him with a pout, which made him laugh.

"I'm not part fruitloop! I might just have picked up a few habits from my short time living with Vlad, that's all. So, don't insult me, big brother" Dani half smiled, a tad more confident than before, and gave him a light punch in the arm. "Are we going to train or what?"

"Dani, wait!" He called her a second too late, she had already activated the whole grid of anti-ghost technology used as practice equipment. In a second of panic, he switched to his ghost half and shouted: "Don't transform!"

Dani was about to say something, but it died in her lips when she saw multiple guns, ecto rays and other Fenton contraptions point in her brother's direction from every wall, the floor and ceiling. Oh, Boy— This was not going to be pretty, was it?

After a few explosions, smoke and ecto-shoots later; Danny reached the other side of the lab and pressed a green button in a panel on the wall. After that, every source of danger went back to their respective place.

" _Phew!"_ Danny let out a breath he didn't noticed he had held until then, took a moment to get back to human form, and lie down for his heart to calm down.

"Are you ok?" Dani asked as she looked him over.

"Yeah…" he answered in between gasps of air "Y-y'know? it's the very first… first time I get to the... other side in less than 5 minutes" he commented. "Next time, let me adjust this stuff first, I don't think you're ready for the last level yet"

"Only _if_ you promise you'll teach me all those cool moves" She affirmed as she poked his face. Danny rolled his eyes and chuckled.

" _Ok. You have my word."_

Danny's voice faded in her mind as more and more obstacles and ghost rays shoot in her way. It took her almost half an hour to get used to the complexity of this level and another fifteen to actually move forward. She was almost about to reach the panel in the wall when several rays got her. The training sequence was completed, and the equipment returned to its original position, as if nothing had happened.

She let herself fall to the floor and lie down, exhausted -both emotionally and physically.

"Still not in Danny's Level" she mused to herself. "I wonder if I'll ever be…" She closed her eyes and let herself rest on the floor.

"Well, that was sloppy" a familiar voice said, she opened her eyes and found Danny standing next to her, green eyes and white hair in place. Great! Now she was hallucinating...

"Thank you for the feedback, dear brother" she retorted, annoyed. "Very useful; but, if I recall correctly, you never taught me how to get past these heavy weapons. So, it's your fault". The younger Phantom sentenced, matter of factly.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The older-one retorted back with sarcasm in place. "If I could see the future I'd tell you how much more difficult mom and dad would make _this_ by this point" Danielle signed, exasperated. Indeed, the obstacle course was not the exact same as when she had come to live in FentonWorks, there had been several improvements done by their parents and —as one was right to assume— it was even more challenging than that used by her brother. Yet, she felt horrible for not reaching the wall in her first try in this level.

"I hate you" The other didn't respond, which surprised the girl. She was expecting him to say "I hate you, more" and keep up with some of their usual sibling banter. She lifted her back from the floor to look at him. "Danny?"

"Sorry, I was thinking…" he mused and sat on the floor beside her.

"Oh, there's a first time for everything" Dani commented, Danny playfully glared in her direction and, three seconds later, he trapped her in a hook and gave her a nuggie. "No! Stop it…!" She pleaded while laughing. "You're the worst. Brother. Ever!"

"And you are thinking too much" He answered and let go of her, Danielle raised an eyebrow questioningly and rearranged her stylish ponytail.

"I'm what-?"

"You're so worried about other things that you are not actually thinking about the targets you have here" He explained. "Any other day you would have gotten the same results with half—no, a quarter of— the effort"

"Really helpful, bro." She sighed and sat with her knees under her chin.

"I know how you feel Dani" He placed a hand over her shoulder. "You're anxious, you are worried, and you feel like you are alone in this" Dani eyed him, revealing some tears rolling down her cheeks. "Let me tell you this: It took me a long time and making the whole planet intangible to understand that I wasn't alone. There's Jazz, Sam, Tuck, and Valerie… mom and dad too, but you know how overprotective they can get to be"

"And you too, right?" She asked him "You'll be there and help me fight with that evil version of you, right?" She pleaded, Danny hugged her.

"I will, you have my word"

"Pinky swear!" Danielle broke the hug for a moment. "What guarantee I have that you won't disappear like you did in the park the last time?"

"You really think I would lie to my artificial twin?" They hugged once again and Danielle felt more at peace than she had in days.

 _"OOPS! I DID IT AGAIN, I PLAYED WITH YOUR HEART~!'_

She woke up.

As pleasant as her dream had been, she had to hurry and answer the phone (which was on a table in the other side of the room).

"Hi, Val!" She said, excitement and relief invading her. "Yes! Uh huh… Sorry, I panicked…! Listen, we need to reunite, with Sam, Tuck and Jazz. It's important. Can you come…? Oh, ok. How exactly…? What the heck was the Box Ghost doing there...? Uh-huh… Uh-huh... It's fine, I get it. Yeah, definitely not the best combination. Don't worry, we've got a lot of those lying around in the lab. What about the day after tomorrow?" Her face lighted up. "Perfect, see you then! We'll fill you in in all the details"

She sighed and left the phone on the table again. The hunteress was fine, good. One less thing to think about, one more asset in the defense line...! ( _Damn it!_ Stupid Dash Baxter, and his stupid coach's-assistant job, and his stupid pep talks, _and_ his stupid tendency to explain everything with football analogies!) She facepalmed and muttered to herself something among the lines of: " _I swear I'll never be late for P.E. again_ "

"Ok… let's try this one more time and then I'll do homework" She said to no-one in particular. This time she completed three quarters of the path before deactivating it with voice commands. "Note to me: come up with a strategy in case this happens in battle…" She stretched her arms over her head and touch a sore spot on her tight. "Besides, it's not like all of mom and dad's technology is just for embellishment or something..." right before she went back upstairs, she turned around and added a: "Right, bro?"

" _Indeed, sis!"_ Was the answer she got, but never got to hear.

" _Found you!"_ He sighed. " _I've been looking for you everywhere"_ The boy looked at his visitor with a sheepish smile.

"S _orry, couldn't help it._ " He smiled sheepishly, trying to avoid the other's eyes " _What are we waiting for? We have work to do."_

…

…

…

...


	14. Tome 3 Part 7 Plans

_A **message from Yami Horus:**_

 _Hi everyone! I just came to say I'm not dead and this story is not in hiatus! (I just had a serious case of writer's block! But really, that kind of block when you"re writing certain parts and it flows like water, but the one you're supposed to be finishing remains unfinished for unknown reasons) Hope you're still interested in this thing, I'm not so sure you even like it! xD_

7\. **PLANS**

" _Friday night. So many things could be done on a friday night, proof of that are uncountable troubles that start at a friend's house, numerous plans that go wrong and are later a great story to tell or too embarrassing to remember; memories that start while chatting and sitting on the floor of somebody else's place. Meetings like this are surely a very poetic way of …"_

"What are you reading…?" Ella questioned him as she found him cross-legged in the darkest corner of the shop.

"Nothing, just a book…" The dark-haired boy answered immediately and quickly while holding the hard-pasted-book up for her to see the cover, but not the text on it. The girl squinted her eyes,

but not to try and see the book's title, but to read the young man's body language —eyes hiding behind the book, hard shrug, rigid smile. Those were the behavioral clues of someone who was hiding something. More specifically, the boy's when he was trying to hide something.

"Is that from where I think it is…? From whom I think it is…?" A slight flinch, a stutter…

"Perhaps…" He finally admitted. She sighed.

"We already told you," she knelt to see him face to face, "there are no shortcuts. There's no easy way to..." He eyed the floor, trying to evade her blue eyes.

The door's newly installed bell chimed. Ella turned around and found three familiar faces.

"Hi Ella!"

"Hi Sam, Mr. Mayor." She took a witch apron and hurriedly put it on with a smile on her face. "What can I offer you today?"

" _Toad Juice_ , times five. Oh! And a _Poisoned Apple_ too, please" The goth girl ordered, smiling more for social courtesy than actual joy or calmness.

"Hey Engel" Tuck called beside her "What are you doing down there?" The pale boy's neck almost snapped when he looked in their direction.

"Me?! Nothing, I- I was-" he muttered and stood up with an awkward movement and not finding the words that would justify his hiding place nor to respond at all.

"He was about to get this book back to the person he borrowed it from." Ella intervened with the same tone a mother would use to induce guilt on any child, all the while she cut the cold fruit that would turn into the ordered beverages. "And apologize for deceiving him" she added scoldingly. Engel rolled his eyes exasperated and sighed.

"Ok, I got the message, I won't do it again. No shortcuts" The boy repeated while putting up his hood and went inside the backdoor to take the beach umbrella from behind it.

"Tell that to Gigi, not to me." The blond added.

"Yeah, yeah…" his voice came weakly before he went out through the front door.

"What's up with him?" Tuck questioned with an arched eyebrow and pointing over his shoulder in his general direction with his thumb.

"English class." Ella responded. "He's strong points are neither spelling nor grammar; he has an essay about "Crime and Punishment" due on thursday and we have this… acquaintance who's tutoring him and happens to still have one of his old english notes from college, featuring the main ideas from the book..."

"Oh, I get it…" Sam nodded knowingly "Well, raise your hand whoever that's never been tempted to do something you shouldn't for the sake of your grades". They all laughed, the two friends paid and took their orders on a tray (made of 100% recycled carton). After they left the place, another presence came in from the back door.

"Why did you not raise your hand, my angel?" The one known as 'D' came and asked with a smug smile.

"Quiet, you devil!" She elbowed him with a little smile.

…

Valerie drank her _Toad Juice_ furiously as she analyzed and assimilated the new information she had been given. So, Danny had explored an alternative timeline, and met an alternative adult version of her… (The juice was good). And they both almost died while fighting an... Alternative. Adult. Evil. Danny? (She took the spare juice still in the paper bag) Oh and the evil Danny had tried to ensure said timeline by creating the very event that made everything go downhill himself? (Wow, that _Toad Juice_ was really good. Perhaps she should visit _The Witch's Brew_ whenever she could from then on…?)

Ok, estaba empezando a divagar.

No more road trips with the Survivalist Club out of town. She left for two days — two days— and now everything was a mess. Unfair.

"He is not even supposed to exist" Jazz's worry and confusion resounded louder than the light murmur it had actually been. "...the mere idea of him is just a simple possibility, he exists in the realm of mathematical probability, not the reality! He's just a like the square root of a negative number!" She continued an paused as soon as she realized she was starting to panic. "Why is it happening?"

"Whatever the reason", interrupted Valerie who had yet to still her nerves from the impression the info had left in her "it is here and we must deal with... _him._ " She surprised herself with her tough and wise-ish comment (she decided she deserved a juice; and also kicked herself for letting her mind wander all the time). "I think you guys already have something planned…?"

"Well… yeah, kinda…" Danielle responded. "I've been training doubles and Tuck's been reviewing some ecto-guns —you know, the new ones"

"Ok, anything impossible for him to either remember or know should work, so we'll have the element of surprise" The huntress thought for a minute. "I think… I have the last package Vlad sent me still unopened somewhere… The last thing he did, after his failed heroic attempt, was to send me a bunch of boxes with weird prototypes. I think we could make the stuff work with the new systems. What else do we have?"

"Mmm… my blood blossom patch bloomed a couple of weeks ago" Sam added.

"Why are you growing blood blossoms, again?" Tuck questioned— part horrified-part surprised.

"Just in case _another_ plant-like ghost gets in my garden and over-shadows me, _maybe_?" The politician made an 'o' with his mouth. "I think I have enough for us to use, in case we lose ectogun power" The young major was about to say something, but was cut off by his goth friend. "And, before you say anything, Tuck, I mean _lose,_ as in ' _I ran at top-speed and dropped my gun'"_

"How did you-?"

"-know you were going to ask why would we lose an ectogun?"

"Witchcraft" The teen boy declared. The others chuckled at the techno-geek's reaction.

"I wonder…" Jazz got everyone's attention. "… I've been having dreams about Danny… maybe my subconscious is picking some signs…" She looked up and added: "Dream interpretation is different for every person, but it is heavily charged with cultural symbolism. Maybe, I can find a behavioral pattern… "

"It's fine Jazz…" Valerie assured her. "In defense and counterattack, no idea is bad."

"Guys, it's getting late," Tuck sighed, his eyes were directed to the ceiling as if he could be able to see the sky and make someone hear his prayers. "Time to go with the City Council… ugh! Why having meetings at this hour? I mean, I know they have their own full-time jobs to attend to but, couldn't they pick a weekend? Maybe on Sunday?"

"Strange social conventions created by the sick western way of thinking of this time" Responded the goth.

"What she tried to say," the ghost girl talked "...was that she was not sure, but she understands."

"Actually, she was referring to the social phenomena known as _social pressure_ ; in this case, Sam was referring to the notion that sundays, or weekends in general, are meant to be days dedicated to relaxation, leisure and rest, never anything else related to work or the likes. I believe it comes from the beginning of the judeo-christian societies… which is fascinating. But yeah, we understand Tuck. Work is work."

"In my next life, remind me to stick to videogames, the life of a developer should be free of boring stuff and unnecessary interactions with people." the technogeek stated as he got up from his sitting place and went towards the main door. "If you need a lift home, the office's car is coming to pick me up"

"Yeah, thanks Tuck!" The Fenton girls were right behind the young politician, and the black-haired one was about to go with them too, but the host took her by the shoulder, gently, and whispered:

"Sam, can you stay a little more...?"

How the others left and at what time became a blur. Now, there was only Valerie and Sam looking at each other behind the main door.

"I guess it's time to discuss it" Said Valerie.

"Yeah…" Admitted the goth girl with resignation. She knew they would reach this point sooner or later. She always avoided talking about it, especially with Jazz, but she could no longer do it. Especially not with the hunter "...we both have a crush on Dani"

Silence fell for some moments, like they both were taking the time to comprehend what was happening in that moment.

"...and she seems to have a crush on me..." Valerie added, tentatively.

"I know" She responded. Oh, how she knew it! She knew Valerie had a thing for the hero-in-training. She and Danny had a thing, —a _short thing_ , but a _thing_ , nonetheless— And Dani seemed to have that in common with him; a _thing_ for Valerie. A thing that made her boil inside with both jealousy and guilt. She was contributing to the idea that Dani was some kind of substitute —even when she was very well aware she wasn't that similar to Danny— the least she wanted was for the girl to have an identity crisis. She was supposed to be her friend, her mentor, her guide through the hellbound battlefield that was high school, and yet... "...I guess you have something to say to me?" She cut her thoughts, expecting Valerie to give her some kind of bomb like, she was dating Danielle or something like that.

"Actually, yes: you are a bisexual disaster," she declared with a very serious expression.

"Gee, thanks"

"...and she's technically… what? Two years old?. That's way far from legal."

"Ha-ha-ha… I thought you were being serious"

"I didn't want to make this conversation as awkward as it sounded in my head"

"Well, congrats, you just achieved it" The goth answered, unamused.

"Ok, I'll just say it. The three of us should talk. I mean, this is not an easy thing and I don't want any drama keeping us apart. Really, we're all friends, we should be able to talk this stuff" Sam couldn't help but smile at those words. Valerie was right.

"Yeah, we should…" She admitted "...as complicated as it sounds, we should" She sighed. "We're gonna need somewhere neutral and where we're al comfortable for it not to be awkward"

"Could it be the place where you get the juice? These things are great!"

"Now you're making this awkward again!"

" _WAKE ME UP! WAKE ME UP INSIDE...!"_ A phone rang.

"It's my parents" Sam declared. "I'm supposed to go with them to some fancy dinner with their friends"

"Something tells me they'll lose their nuts when they know about your preferences…"

"Ugh! Don't mention it"


End file.
